Cloth expander



Jan. 12 1926.

F. B. VOEGELI CLOTH EXPANDER Filed'Nov. 2o, 1924 w/r, wmf.

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Patented Jan. 12, 192.6.

UNITED srArEs FREDERICK BENEDICT VOEGELI, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANA.

CLOTH EXPANDER.

Application led November 20, 1924. Serial No. 751,135.

T 0 all whom t may concer-n.'

Be it known that I, FREDERICK B. Von- GnLI, a citizen of the United States, residingv at Easton, in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invent` ed certain new and useful Improvements i l Cloth Expanders, of which the following .is a specification, reference being lhad therein to the accompanying drawing.

The present invention relates to cloth expanders, such as are used for stretching cloth in the process of finishing, coating, or the like, so as to eliminate the wrinkles in the cloth when it passes into the machine before which the expander is placed.

Cloth expanders which have been in prevailing use comprise rollers mounted on a curved rod or bar and having peripheral Contact with the cloth for stretching or expanding same edgewise, as well known in the art. The rollers of such an expander are arranged at angles relatively to one another, so that the stretching or expanding action is not uniform transversely of the cloth, and joints or breaks also occur between the rollers which not only impair the uniformity of stretching Aor expanding action, but which also permit lubricating oil to escape from the bearings of the rollers, which, if it occurs, may soil the cloth.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a cloth expander constituting a curved roller having a continuous unbroken contact with the cloth from edge to edge, in order that the stretching or expanding action will be uniform, as well as avoiding breaks or joints in the expander at its periphery.

lith the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure l is a plan view of the expander and a tension roll, portions being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sec-A tion of the expander'.

Figs. 3 and Il are cross sectionsonthe respective lines 3-3 and 4 4 of Fig. 2.

The expander comprises a curved non- `the cover on said members.

rotatable rod or shaft 7 held at its ends in suitable supports 8. Roller members or seetions 9 are rotatable on the rod 7, 'being provided with plain or other suitable bearings l() to rotate freely on said rod, and the adjacent ends of said members 9 have interengaging clutch teeth or lugs ll whereby all of said members rotate as a unit.

The construction of the expander as described up to this point is substantially the same as that of expanders used heretofore, and the roller members, as now used, have their peripheries formed with grooves or other surfaces to engage the cloth.

In carrying out the present invention, a tubular cover l2 of rubber or other iexible resilient material is disposed on the roller members, thereby providing a curved roller which rotates around the arcuate rod with the periphery of the roller unbroken from one end thereof to the other, so as to present a continuous line of contact with the cloth from one edge of the cloth to the other edge, The cover l2 may be of any suitable thickness and vwill bend or yield to conform to the curvature of the rod 7 as'the roller rotates.

The cover l2 is secured to the roller members 9 in order to prevent the cover from being displaced on said members. Thus, the rollers are hollow and have apertures le in the peripheries thereof. The cover l2 is molded over the roller members and the rubber or other material, while in a plastic condition, enters the aportan-es 14, thereby forming the cover at the interior with headed studs 16 anchored to said roller members. The necks of the studs lli extend through the apertures 14E: and the heads of the studs are located within the roller members, thereby anchoring the cover on said members. Vhen molding the cover over the roller members, it is preferable to do so with said roller members removed from the curved rod 7 and straightened out, and said roller members are preferably disposed in alinement end to end on a straight r d. The material also flows inwardly, while being molded, between the ends of the 'roller members, so as form the webs 'i3 be tween the lugs or teeth l1 bearing flatly against the ends of the memb 9 and formed with beads 15 to assist in anchorin"` The beads overlap the edge portions of the lu s of the companion members 9 at the inner surfaces of said lugs. rlhe rubber or other material forming the cover is also preferably provided with an inner layer l2 which is of tougher quality, and which is in Contact with the roller members so i s to provide an eii'ective attaolnnent ot the cover to said members, the materiel outside of said loyer being freely pliable or elastic so :is to conform to the curar-.ture of the roller and to afford a goed friction group on the cloth.

After the material forming the cover has set, the roller can then be slid on the curved rod 7 and will assume its arcuate shape. rIhe degree of curvature of the roller may vary according;` to the conditions or requirements, and the roller muy also be of di'll'erent dimueters and le. .ns rThe periphery ot the cover l2 may be smooth or rough according` to the fabric or cloth operated on.

ln the embodiment as shown in Fig. l the expander is positioned between e. balo and a tension roll 17, the cloth moving in the direction of the arrow into the iinishing7 costing` or similar m chine. The roll 17 is mounted on a short journalcd in bearings 19 and 20', and e. friction device is employed for retire n g' the rotation ot the roll 17 so as to stretch or the cloth lengthwise past the expander. For this purpose, a friction disk 2O secured on the shaft 18, and a complementing` friction disk 2l. is slidable on the bearing 'i9 and does not rotate, a telnor similar triction disk 22 being` disposed between the disks 2O and 21. A nut 2B is screwthreaded on the bearing 19 and a spring 2d is confined between said nut 23 and the dish 2l, so that by 'adjusting` the nut the pressure of the spring` can be regulated, to regulate the nessure between the disks S2() and 2l and the degree olf friction. The disk 2() rotating with the tension roll 1'? is in trictional connection vsith the non-retatable dist; 2l. thereby ln'ingine` the cloth under longitudinal tension it is pulled. into the machine, and the expander or expanding; roll conter-ts with the cloth as it nieves beyond the roll l?. The expander' having' u continuous unbroken peripheryT from end to end will have a continuous contact with the cloth from one edge of th cloth to the other edge, thereby providing` for a uniform stretching` or o-:pandin action trzuisvers-:ely ot the cloth so that each thread is uniformly teken hold of by the expander. The stretching done uniformly for coarse es weil as .Fine fabric. and the cover i2 beine' of rubber or other frictional material will prevent the cloth from slipping when passingl the expander. The cloth is stretched or experi/did edgewise in proportion to the curvaturx of the expandroller. The present expander can be used in the same manner and in the same arrangements as the expanders ot the prior art and may also be used for paper and other tibi-ous sheets, well as for cloth. Thus, the herein described expander con be rotated by power it desired, and a group ot' the expanders can also be used which rx'iay be adjusted upwardly and downwzirdly to date the contact thereoic with the cloth7 ie expnnders may be superposed to ,grip and squeeze the cloth between them.

rlhe bearin s i0 can be lubricated witln out the p ssiility of 'the lubricant escaping;` and soiling` the cloth, inasmuch the oil or iubri .ant is retcined within the cover l2 even though the lubricant may escape from the bearings and run between the nds ot the roller me n 3er 9.

Having thus described the invention. what is claimed as new is :-d

l. A cloth expnnder comprising, rotatably mounted roller members to be disposed along a curvcil line. und a rubber cover molded on and anchored to said members.

2. A cloth expander comprising` a curved rod, roller members rotate-.bie tnereon, and a tubular rubber cover molded on and anchored said members.

3. A cloth expander comprisingrotatable mounted roller members to be dis posed alonga curved line and having` apertures in their peripheries, and a rubber cover molded on said members havn j portions anchored in said apertures.

4t. A cloth expander' comprising rotatably mounted roller members having` aper tures, and a rubber cover molded on seid members havingportions engaging through said apertures and formed with heads.

5. A cloth expander comprising roller iembers disposed end to end, and a rubbew cover on said members haring" portions en` pagine' between the ends of the rollers.

G. A cloth expander comprising' roller members having;` clutch lugs at their adjacent ends for rondini.; said roller members es unit7 and rubber corel' on said menibers huving portions extending` inwurdy at the adjacent ends oi' the rollers bet een said lugs.

7. A cloth expander comirising),` roller members having clutch lugs at their adjacent ends Jfor rotating` said roller members as a unit, and a rubber cover on said meinbers having port-ions extending' inwardly at the adjacent ends ot the rollers between said lugsj said portions being formed with beads overlapping; said lujgjs to assist in anchoring;- seid corer on .sr-.1d members.

ln testimony whereotl l hereunto aiiix my signature.

FREDERMK BENEDlCT VOEGELI. 

